


Strides

by JeffrevinAO3



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26602339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeffrevinAO3/pseuds/JeffrevinAO3
Summary: Ahsoka spends the day celebrating her own birthday, and is, by Anakin's teachings, just about late in doing so.
Kudos: 3





	Strides

Per usual, everything under the Skywalker timetable was at least ten to fifteen minutes late. That happened to include Ahsoka Tano.  
The Togruta bounded down the halls of the ship, clones leaping out of her way as she dashed for the main hangar, her comlink to her mouth as she blurted out orders for Arseven to clear her for an immediate takeoff.  
She leapt into the cockpit and barely had a couple of seconds to settle in as the droid piloted the Actis-class fighter through the hangar forcefield, blasting off into the blue Coruscanti sky with the engines on full afterburner as a couple of gunships swooped low below her.  
_This is what happens when you train under Anakin._

“Steady, steady- no, wait, nonono, Fives, not that side, the other one! _Don’t!-_ drop it!” Anakin Skywalker shouted, his voice almost as authoritative as it was on the battlefield, but with an air of excited enthusiasm intertwined with it. “Just put it down right- _there!_ Perfect! Rex, how’re we looking?”  
“Still going strong, General Skywalker!” The clone lifted up his arms, filled to the brim with tinsels and streamers. “Bit more to go!”  
“Good to hear, Rex! Jesse, leave the cookies alone until after, alright?”  
“Sorry, General.”  
Anakin leapt off the table where he had been commanding the operation, the top only to be reoccupied by Jesse setting down the plate of snacks he had taken, mourning the missed opportunity to consume at least one of them early.  
“So! Cake, juice, snacks, food, decorations, everybody’s here, we’re all set!” Anakin called, the open skies and lines of traffic of Coruscant visible through the wide windows and skylight. “Like the new decor, Padmé?”  
The senator beside him shook her head, smiling and looking around at the colorful room, clashing wildly against the blue Naboo paint schemes. “Remember, I’m doing this for Ahsoka, and I’m doing this for you.”  
“Well, you’d do anything for me, wouldn’t you, my good lady?”  
“You’re going to embarrass us in front of the clones, _Ani_.”  
There were a couple of hurriedly silenced snickers.  
“Hey!” Rex yelled. “Observe military bearing!”

 _Late. Late. Late. Late. Late. Late. Late._  
Ahsoka tapped her foot as she watched the floors tick up, one by one. She hummed to herself, a tune from the days when she was a Youngling and always found great joy in greeting Master Plo in Kel’Dor, his native language.  
A chime sounded and the doors whooshed open as the turbolift reached the apartment. She set foot into the darkened room, the shutters pulled over the windows, only just beginning to sense a faint signature in the Force-  
**“SURPRISE!”**  
She was alone, she was alone, Khalifa had just been shot, her mind tore through the memory almost as quickly as the bolt had done, the roars of the Trandoshans echoed through the thick dense jungle trees-  
But there was Rex, and there was Jesse, and Fives and Kix and a good chunk of the 501st, and Anakin and Padmé-  
She let out a sigh as her mind returned her senses to her, which then became a laugh as the party moved towards her, Anakin wrapping his arms around her as they shared in a communal moment of peace and happiness.  
“Happy birthday, Ahsoka,” Padmé said from close beside her, her eyes gleaming and her expression beaming.  
“Happy birthday, kid!” Rex shouted, wrestling his way to the front, a confident grin going from ear to ear.  
For in that moment, and in those to come, there would be no war. There would be no pain, no suffering, no horror, no hopelessness as the marching of the Separatist droid army continued on.  
In that moment, the Clone Wars was over.

The Actis streaked through the skies on its way back from the Senate District, a few grams heavier from an additional payload of consumed cake, food, drinks, and snacks. She had offered to stay behind with the others and clean up, what with all the confetti and food and such, but, as clones always were, they were dedicated to their duty. Besides, they had said, didn’t her and Anakin have somewhere else to get to?  
There was, of course, going to be the obligatory celebration in the temple refectory, with yet another celebration to be thrown, another cake to be eaten, and more snacks and festivities to be had. As she was still one of the younger Padawans, the Younglings would be there, along with any number of friends and Knights and Masters and members of the Jedi Council that had seemingly found time to celebrate the birthday of the Chosen One’s Padawan.  
Oh, how good it felt to have a day all to herself. Just nice and peaceful and calm and-  
She felt a tilt in the roll of the ship as the Temple came into view.  
_Oop, aileron roll-_  
“Arseven, no!”  
Ahsoka held her stomach in as the fighter completed its roll and leveled back out, her astromech chirping sheepishly yet amusedly, enjoying the festivities. She gave them a smirk, her look saying it all.  
_Better not try that again._

The chorus of Younglings and a smattering of the adults that had joined in finished, cheering as she blew out the candles atop the cake, large enough to feed everybody a slice, save enough for seconds, and have some for dessert tomorrow.  
“Speech!” “Speech!”  
There was a round of shouting and some laughter.  
“Alright! Alright. Fine.” Ahsoka held her hands up around her, a smile upon her face, trying to settle the restless young ones among them. “Nothing extravagant.”  
She took a breath. “I’ve been here since Master Plo brought me here, and so I’ve grown up with each and every single one of you. Everything you’ve done for me and everything that’s been done for me has meant so much, and it means so much more than I can ever put into words. I’m just glad that I got to experience all of these things with you.  
“I’m just glad to have all of you.”  
The crowd was silent, sharing a moment of quiet, where the Padawan stared around her at the people that were more than just friends to her.  
They were family.  
A hand reached down for a glass. “To Ahsoka!” Anakin’s voice called, quickly joined soon after by the voices and glasses of Plo Koon and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Unduli and Master Fisto and Barriss Offee and the Younglings.  
The many raised glasses clinked together.  
“Thanks, Skyguy.”

A few jokes, including one particular one asking if she was planning on getting yet another lightsaber this year. A hug and a bow from Plo, and Obi-Wan, and Barriss, and more hugs from each of the Younglings in turn. Bit by bit, the Jedi bid each other farewell, wished the Padawan happy birthday and additional pleasantries, and went upon their merry way.  
It was just Ahsoka and Anakin by a couple hours’ time before sunset, simply enjoying each other’s presence, before Anakin gave his apprentice a nod.  
They bid their goodbyes to the refectory workers cleaning up after them, making their way to one of the turbolifts, glasses in hand and filled to the brim with drink and ice.  
They emerged from the lifts, making their way along the concourse to the balcony overlooking the direction in which the sun would set.  
They waited.

“What’s on your mind, Snips?”  
Ahsoka shifted slightly where she stood.  
“It feels.. weird. Not doing anything.”  
Her master nodded, his hands folded over the railing, holding his glass. “It’s like that every year.”  
She let out a breath through her nose, feeling the warmth on her face.  
“I remember back when I was still a Youngling, you know. When Master Plo still used to pick me up and say, ‘Happy birthday, little ‘Soka,’ and I would say, free as a child without a care in the world, ‘Thanks!’ and give him such a huge smile every time.”  
The lump that had risen in her throat mixed with the feeling of having raised her pitch, mimicking her younger self, mixing with the feeling of truly being carefree and innocent and without ever having to worry about living until the next day. Her own smile now was small and bittersweet, reminiscing about the past.  
“It’s as if that’s gone, now.”  
She took a swig from her own glass, unsure of whether or not she should savor or hate the sweet flavor.

“You remember Mortis, right?”  
Ahsoka turned, looking at him. “Besides the part where you mean I got possessed by the literal embodiment of the Dark Side, yeah. What of it?”  
“Well, my own vision. It was-”  
Her master caught himself. “I lost somebody close. And when I did, it was as if I was never going to be whole again. I don’t think I ever have been since then. You can’t just fix these things, you know.  
“But then, I always remember that I have you, and I have Padmé, and I have Obi-Wan, and I have the Jedi and the clones, and I can put my trust in them and I can care for them and protect them like family. Because they are my family, Snips, and you are, too.”  
Anakin placed an arm around her.  
“Thanks, Ahsoka.”  
Ahsoka smiled. “Thanks, Anakin.”

Their dark silhouettes contrasted against the vibrant bright orange and blazing white of sunset, their shadows stretching along the ground, as the sun descended upon the horizon.  
“Happy birthday, Ahsoka.”  
They had each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another short birthday story in honor of Ashley Eckstein's birthday today! Happy birthday, Ahsoka!  
> I wrote this with the idea of having a tone of finality to it; since this is, after all, the final year of The Clone Wars both in real life and in universe, and we all know what's going to happen quite soon afterwards then.  
> May the Force be with you. Always.


End file.
